Is Sharing really Caring?

Do Sharing ecosystems really have the family in mind?

When I come home from work, I just want to decompress on the couch and get lost in social media before I start making dinner for my family. The thing is, each of my kids are sitting with me on the couch, also with their own device playing games or watching cartoons. Before you judge me on how I spend time with my kids, truth is, in this digital age these devices have become the new pacifier for kids and adults alike. It’s no wonder that the tech giants have introduced us to the idea of ‘Sharing’ our apps and content with our families. It’s like digital bonding for the tech savvy household!

With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) not only will we want to share our content but also connected devices with our family members. How should sharing work with a Nest thermostat? More and more of the things around us will be connected to the Internet with it’s own app to download on our smartphones.

The concept of the ‘connected home’ is a great idea but does anyone really do it well?

If your home is pimped out with Apple HomeKit or Amazon Echo you’re already ahead of the game but each of these options offers an ‘all or nothing’ type of sharing situation. Should everyone in a household have access? I should be able to pick and choose who I share with. My husband would need access to the thermostat and maybe my teen but not my preschooler.

Today, the everyday consumer has yet to wrap their heads around the idea of the Internet of Things, while early adopter Dad will have everything from the locks on the front door to the sprinklers in the backyard and everything else in between connected to the Internet.

Sharing services need to do a better job of customizing access to other members of their household.

Once the Internet of Things goes mainstream there will be a radical transformation of family life as we know it, but the providers of these services need to think of how the family really works and build that into it’s foundation.